


Rhyme.

by sonnet_18



Category: DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-26
Updated: 2015-04-26
Packaged: 2018-03-25 19:11:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3821614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonnet_18/pseuds/sonnet_18
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I read crystallinemilkyway‘s RenAo hc where they wrote :</p><p>“A Renao AU where Ren and Aoba knew each other as children and ended up having to leave one another due to unmentionable circumstances. Ren ended up getting into a car accident a few months after that made him lose his entire memory. Since he and Aoba knew each other when they were only five, it’s hard for Aoba to recognize Ren shoukd he ever return when they are adults. And Ren does return eventually, a grown man and far more stern than the carefree child he once was.He still hasn’t regained his memories and the pair greet each other as if it was their first time meeting–might as well have been in Ren’s view. Though neither of them can escape the nagging feeling that they knew one another.And the more time Ren and Aoba spend together, the more their feelings grow and Ren can feel himself picking up bits of his memory little by little.”</p><p>It inspired  me to write a oneshot of this hc. I hope you’ll enjoy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rhyme.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first part of a 2-chapter story.

 

———————

Ren awkwardly enters the retro music shop.

Looking around with his golden eyes, he saw the customers are sparse this morning. Ignoring the looks from ladies that took notice of him, he self consciously brush away imaginary dust from his long black jacket and start walking inside to browse the displayed CD cases on the walls. Names of artists and bands that passed away almost a century ago. Yet their music live on in the hearts of fans who continue to worship them for their legacy.

As Ren holds a CD case of Cher, he heard some giggles and felt more eyes following his back.

“They must be laughing at my jacket. I’m sure I look like a homeless man in this jacket.” he whisper as he look down at himself. His long jacket look like a dirty and torn cloak as if he’s some mountain traveler sans the headgear and bag pack.

But contrary to Ren’s assumptions, the girls who can’t stop staring at him are actually fawning over his good looks. His sharp eyes and frown made them squeal more as they thought he’s probably those brooding rich man with mysterious aura. After all it’s a sight to see a new face in this small, boring town of Midorijima.

Ren recently move into this town after he discovered a diary of his late mother. Since the car accident, he never open that box of what’s left of his mom’s belongings. He was scared to open the Pandora Box until last week. Where he read her slightly burnt notebook that survived the car crash. He read her written record of how she lament returning back to Midorijima. Of how she truly miss a woman named Seragaki Tae who accepted her as family compared to her real family. The book also contain a picture of a seaside church but that was not enough to unlock his sealed memories.

Ren needed more clues to answer his piled up questions. That’s why he’s here on a mission. To unlock his vague memories of his past by coming to Midorijima himself, Stopping by this music store is his first step on his investigation for he thinks this music shop can help him.

Ever since he woke up from the hospital bed as the only survivor of a car crash, a song comforted him. 

It was a children’s rhyme.

Ren remembers that someone used to sing it to him when he was a child. He can’t exactly remember the words nor the name of the song. But Ren thinks the children’s rhyme is important to his past.

His mother’s diary, the picture of the church and a vague image of a boy holding his hand as they sing this certain song are all clues that can help Ren recover his old self. He’s tired of walking on this earth as an empty shell. He has this unexplained feeling that there’s someone waiting for him. Someone that needed his protection.

Someone with a big smile with pretty long hair—

“Hello, sir. Welcome to Music Store Heibon. How may I help you?” asks a friendly voice from behind Ren.

The brunette turn around to see a smiley youth in puffy jacket, braided hair the colour of the sky and… amber eyes almost like Ren’s.

The worker gasps slightly when he saw Ren. He has seen various customers going in and out of this shop. Loud ones, rude ones and the serious collectors one must not disturb until they request your assistance.

But this guy? this is the first time Aoba’s heart skip a beat seeing the tall male!  
Damn it, Aoba’s a sucker when it comes to tall men with raven hair. Yet Aoba can’t help but notice that the customer seems a bit pale and slightly haggard. Then Aoba’s gaze continue to trail across those broad shouldered… to the muscular biceps. Well then, Aoba wonder if Mr. Customer doesn’t mind him helping himself being pick up like a bride right now.

No, no. snap out of it Seragaki! Stop chasing Ren’s shadow in other people. Ren will never come back. Haruka made sure she’ll never come back to this town after she learned of Nain’s murder—

“Ah, yes. I need your help.” Ren awkwardly affirm Aoba’s question. “I’m looking for a song. It will truly help me if you have information about the singer or time of year when the song was first aired.”

Aoba lost his professional smile as he chuckle in amusemen, “well, you came to the right place when it comes to music, sir.” he says with a wave to emphasize the content of this shop.

“What genre are you searching for? J-rock? Pop? classic? It’s easier if you can tell me whether the singer is a male or female or in a band.”

Now Ren looks like a troubled puppy.

“Um… I… I don’t know type of instrument nor the name of the song. I… I only know how it sounded like.” Ren tries to explain awkwardly between his stammering.

All that image of the stern and mysterious customer gone out the window and Aoba swear he felt his heart melt. People like this still exist out there? Adults that needs their own protection squad because they’re just this precious?

“Well, okay. I think I can help you. Can you hum it for me?” Aoba asks as he brush back a lock of hair behind his ear.

Ren became flustered, “h-h-hum?”

“Uh huh. You don’t know the name of the artist or song title. So I can’t search it at the database with little to no information. Hum it for me or just give me some words from the chorus part. I may not look like it but I have a pretty good memory when it comes to melodies.” Aoba grins.

Mentally he adds,  _memory so good sometimes I can’t sleep at night thinking about where Ren is or how he’s doing these years…_

The taller man looks torn between declining Aoba’s offer for help or bend down to actually hum into the worker’s ear.

Him? singing? one time a strange crowd gathered outside his door when he was about to throw out the rubbish when he sang Poker Face in the kitchen!

“U-understood.” Ren nods.

The youth nods too as he present his right ear as if waiting to be peck on the cheek.

Aoba gulps as he can smell the handsome customer’s scent. He smells like soap and well ironed clothes, clean and homey. Nothing of cigarettes nor beer which is refreshing. Argh snap out of it, Seragaki, hey!

But… Why? Why does his scent seems familiar? worse, up close Aoba have this strange urge to touch the man’s soft hair. It looks so soft and… fluffy?

Ren bends down a bit and takes a deep breath as his lips nearly touch Aoba’s ear….

“ AOBA-SAN~ SORRY I WAS LATE! HAVE YOU FINISHED STACKING THE BOXES? I’M SO SORRYYYY~!”

Both Ren and Aoba jumps back at the loud voice of another Heibon part timer, Clear.

“Oh! a customer, welcome! Would you like this freebie Jellyfish cap? Buy 2 cassettes and it’s all yours~! ”

“Clear, please. Haga-san hasn’t approve of your sale merchandise yet.” Aoba tries to subtly scold the new worker.

To Ren he apologize, “please pardon him. We can move to the storage room if you need a quieter place to… continue.”

Aoba trail away when he saw Ren’s face.

He look pale as his golden eyes widen in shock.

“Mr Customer? are you alright?”

Ren suddenly grip the shorter man by the shoulders, “w-what was your name?”

“A-Aoba. My name is Aoba.”

Aoba.

_Aoba… Aoba… Aoba…_

_That name sounded so familiar. So right…_

_C-could he be?_

“A-and your family name?” Ren asks next.

“T-Toue. Toue Aoba.”

The fire that lit up behind Ren’s eyes died down.

“Oh… I see." 

He loosen his hold and look a bit miserable. As if the clue he almost grasp within his hand slipped through his fingers.

"I… I apologize. I thought you were someone I knew.”

The name “Aoba” still causes a tingle up Ren’s spine. So dear and precious to him he can feel it deep in his chest. 

But the family name Toue? No, that’s as foreign to him as another language.

“I’ll take my leave now. I’m sorry for stalling you during your job.” Ren turn away coldly without a second glance at Aoba.

Aoba felt like someone woke him from his sweet dream. Wait, what? his mysterious prince is leaving the ball so soon?

“It-it’s no trouble at all. Um… about the song?” Aoba tries to chase after Ren.

“It’s fine, another time." 

To be honest Ren feels a bit too upset to sing the precious song of his memory. He’s tired of chasing after shadows of his past, just when he thought he finally got a hold of someone related to Seragaki Tae. His mother’s former guardian.

"Thank you for your help, good day.”

Aoba stops by the door frame and weakly wave after Ren’s retreating back, “g-good day… sir.”

Clear follows after Aoba with a worried expression.

“Aoba-san, why did you tell him your foster father’s family name? I thought you wanted to be called Seragaki Aoba.”

Aoba sighs as he close the glass door and stare at his reflection.

“After uncle Nain was murdered, Baa-chan was so sad she passed away from grief when even aunt Haruka left. Baa-chan told me to be good to my foster dad. After all he was the one who took care of Sei and me, financially. He never stays at home anyway. I may not like him but it’s the least I can do is to respect the new family name I have on my birth certificate.”

“Aoba-san…”

Sighing heavily Aoba turn around to go back to his post, back to his boring job of minding the shop and tending to rude customers, loud customers or the serious collectors. Maybe if he wake up early tomorrow, there’s a chance he’ll bump with Mr. Fluffy Hair customer again? he hope so. There’s something about that man’s presence made Aoba feel at ease.

Like… welcoming an old family member back in his arms.

Someone dear to him that he had to say good bye long ago.

Lost in his thoughts, Aoba began to hum a children rhyme song he used to sing with his childhood friend. About Mary and her little lamb.

But when they were 5, Aoba and Ren changed the song lyrics together into a song about a boy and his little puppy. With fur as black as storm. And everywhere that the lil’ boy went, the puppy was sure to go…

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END?


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